It Just So Happens
by azure-aster
Summary: Complete. A mission prompting Roy to come to Gotham might just be the most inconvenient thing for Dick when he's considering his feelings towards the archer. Red Arrow/Robin
1. Chance Meeting

**Another attempt at a Roy/Dick story~! I hope I get their characterizations right.**  
><strong>OMG, I am dying here slowly, waiting for the next YJ episode.<strong>  
><strong>Hopefully CN slips again, and accidentally releases episode 11 on their website. :B<strong>

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><p>"Is it a bad thing to like someone older than yourself?"<p>

Dick placed his chin in the palm of his hand as he leaned against the dining table. Alfred, as dutiful as ever, was standing poised beside him. His presence made the dark atmosphere of the room slightly less daunting.

"Certainly not, sir. I remember when Master Bruce was pursued by young girls your age when he was sixteen."

"Okay... then, did girls... about five years younger than him pursue him too?"

Alfred paused for an unnaturally long time.

"Um... I'm gonna assume that never happened," Dick scratched the back of his head, "Alfred. Alfred?"

A cough, then, "Yes, Master Richard?"

"Don't tell Bruce about this conversation. Promise me you won't."

"I will not utter a word," Alfred said.

Dick relaxed and finally picked up the fork that had been previously untouched. He twirled the utensil into his dish, effectively wrapping pasta strands around it. "Thanks, Alfred," he said before popping the food into his mouth.

It was a Saturday, and for the first time in a long time, Dick was bored to death. Bruce was with the Justice League at the moment, and Dick had been ordered to stay in Gotham rather than meet with his team at Mount Justice. Even though Bruce forbade him from facing the more infamous criminals, like Joker and Penguin, the city would need Robin to at least stop robbers, muggers, and the like.

It was still only the afternoon, and Dick didn't usually go on patrol until well into the night, leaving him to do nothing but write a paper for his English class.

Halfway into writing his essay, a great craving for an ice cream sundae struck him. He hummed happily as he pushed himself away from his desk and the papers strewn around on it. When he passed by Alfred, he waved and told the butler that he would be going out for a bit. With his hair down and a blue jacket hastily put on, Dick looked neither like Robin, boy wonder, nor Dick Grayson, famous ward of Bruce Wayne.

Though Alfred could have easily made him a sundae, Dick had wanted a chance to stretch his legs. The distance between the mansion and the ice cream parlor was perfect for a short walk. Gotham didn't have the perfect atmosphere for taking a stroll, even during the day, but walking along the streets in the city was better than being holed up in a room all day.

Along the way, Dick bumped into a tall, muscular figure. He glanced back as he rubbed at the small pain on his arm, getting a glimpse of the person's face before he was forced to walk with the wave of pedestrians.

Roy Harper.

How peculiar that the day he decided to talk to Alfred about his attraction to Roy was also the day said vigilante came to Gotham.

Dick assumed Roy was on some sort of mission. He wouldn't come by Gotham City for no reason.

Dick ducked into the ice cream parlor, eyes still on Roy. He watched through the glass display window until Roy's figure got lost in the crowd.

"Uh... excuse me?"

Dick whipped his head towards the source of the voice. A blond teenager with a confused smile waved at him from behind the cash register. He asked, "Are you ready to order?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. A cookie's n cream lover's special, please," Dick said as he pulled out his wallet. He handed the cashier a crisp five-dollar bill.

He sat down on a stool near the cashier and in no time at all, his order was done. "Thanks," he smiled as he was handed a pink spoon.

The sundae was really good, he'd have to ask Alfred to make the same type of sundae some other time.

He checked his watch. Only about twenty minutes until the sun would go completely down. There was no time to lose, Roy would most likely change into his Red Arrow costume once night hit. Dick tossed the empty ice cream container into a trash bin and ran back to the mansion.

"Hey, Alfred! Gonna go on patrol a little early tonight!" he yelled as he passed by the butler.

Alfred nodded once, and then returned to tending the living room.

Once Dick, changed into his Robin outfit, was on top of one of the taller buildings in the city, he activated the holographic computer on his wrist to find Roy. A blinking blue dot indicated that the redhead was less than half a mile away. Dick smiled, he could reach Roy's location on foot, no sweat.

He leaped across rooftops, checking the hologram every once in a while. Roy wasn't moving, he was either waiting for his target or was changing into his superhero suit.

The thought of Roy changing caused Dick's faces to become hot. Stupid teenage hormones making him envision Roy shirtless.

Oh, lord, this was not the time to think about something like that. Look at the hologram, look at the hologram...

His eyes widened upon seeing the dot representing Roy move closer to the center of the virtual map. He stopped to make sure he wasn't imagining things. No, the dot was definitely moving, and it was moving towards him.

Dick looked up to see two figures in the distance. They were both sprinting, and the one in front was dodging an arrow. Clear sign of a bad guy.

Dick pressed himself flat against a metal water tank. As he pulled out knock-out gas pellets and a lasso, he peeked around his cover. A wiry man, dressed in all black, was heading his way.

With a flick of his wrist, the lasso went flying. It wrapped around the man's feet, causing him to fall flat on his face. Before he could take out his concealed knife and cut the rope, Dick tossed a handful of knock-out gas pellets. The pellets scattered around the man's head, and when the gas was released, the man was rendered unconscious.

Dick stepped away from his hiding spot as Roy approached. The redhead was panting slightly from the chase earlier. He scowled, "He was mine."

"You're totally welcome," Dick replied jovially, "What are you doing in Gotham?"

"It's none of your business."

"Actually, it is. In case you've forgotten, Gotham is Batman's and my city."

Dick sighed, shifting his weight to his left foot, when Roy only continued to frown. "Look," he tried to reason with the other, "Batman's not too fond of other superheroes entering Gotham. He's a bit of a control freak. If I let him know why you came, he'll be less grumpy the next time he sees you. If I tell him that _and_ that I helped you out, he'll really ease up."

"I... fine."

"Cool. So, why are you here?"

"Cheshire. She's been given a job to take someone out."

"Cheshire, huh? Aqualad told me about what happened last time you faced her. I heard she escaped."

"This time will be different."

"Yeah, because I'm here this time," Dick snickered, "Okay, then, what's the deal with this guy?" He nudged the unconscious man between them with his foot.

"He's an accomplice. I saw him meet with Cheshire earlier," Roy grunted as he crouched down. He sifted through the man's belongings, until a torn piece of paper caught his eye. Upon seeing that the writing scrawled on the paper was in a foreign language, he cursed under his breath.

Dick looked down at the paper. "That's interesting, it has Bruce Wayne's name on it."

"How'd you-"

Dick jabbed a thumb at himself. "Multilingual. My Mandarin's a little shaky, but I know for sure that says Wayne's name."

Roy straightened up, the paper still in his hand. "Bruce Wayne is one of the richest men in Gotham City, but he wouldn't be targeted just because of his money."

"Bruce Wayne's a top contributor for the Justice League. If Cheshire's been hired to take him out... then it's probably the League of Shadow's doing."

"Wayne funds the Justice League? Why?"

"He has this strong belief of bringing justice to criminals. He acts like a total flake though. I don't know how he does it."

"How does he do what?"

Dick's shoulders tensed when he realized he said the last sentence aloud. "Uh, you know, it's weird how he has such a strong sense of right and wrong, but then he acts like some stupid playboy. It's just... unbelievable," he scratched the back of his head.

Roy didn't look convinced with Dick's explanation, but he said nothing more on the subject. Instead, he motioned in the general direction of Wayne Enterprises. "You know this city, you're acting as a guide."

Dick's lips twitched into the beginnings of a smile.

"Alright."

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><p>Please reviewcomment~ :D

And please point out any grammar mistakes!


	2. Looks Can Be Deceiving

**Urgh... I had a bit of trouble writing this one, so if this chapter feels a bit strained... I'm super sorry. D:**  
><strong>So CN's apparently not airing any new YJ episodes anytime soon. D: I am so fricken' annoyed at that channel right now. They just aren't asterous, at <em>all<em>. :B**  
><strong>Well, please enjoy the fic~ ^^<strong>

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><p>Dick was fine with leading the way. He was fine with the distance they would have to cover to get to their destination. He was fine with having to get to their destination through some mode of transportation. He was fine with that mode of transportation be a motorcycle, particularly Roy's rented motorcycle.<p>

Most of all, he was _completely_ fine with having to hold onto Roy and lean close to his ear to give directions.

Okay, not really. He was actually overly conscious of the feeling of Roy's body in his arms. To make matters better... worse, was the fact that he had to press his cheek against Roy's back.

Roy only had one helmet and since he was the driver, he was the one to wear it. Dick had no choice but to press himself against Roy to keep the wind from annoyingly whipping at his face.

The whole ride to Wayne Enterprises was way more annoying than it had to be. Hold on too loosely, and Roy would know something's up, cling on too tightly, then Dick would be setting himself up for an awkward talk with Roy later. He had to find the perfect balance that said he liked the other boy, but only as a friend.

"Take a right at the next signal," he murmured into Roy's ear. He sighed and returned to leaning on his back.

Under different circumstances, Dick would have enjoyed riding on a motorcycle with Roy, but, at the moment, keeping his feelings in check and stopping Cheshire was more important.

Dick jumped off the motorcycle once they reached the towering skyscraper of Wayne Enterprises. "We're here. Keep in mind, we're not going to get the warmest welcome. Batman's pretty intimidating at times, you know, with his glare and his 'I AM THE NIGHT!' shtick," he ended his explanation with an imitation of the caped crusaders gruff voice, which he completely failed at.

"Whatever, as long as we get what we want," Roy scoffed and walked into the building.

The security guard at the front desk frowned the moment he laid his eyes on Roy. "Hey, you're not-"

"Did a woman, about 5'6", come through here?" Roy cut him off.

"What? Look, whoever you are, you're-"

"Just. answer. the question.

Dick stepped in front of Roy, knowing that this would go nowhere. "Frank," he said, glancing at the man's name tag so as not to arouse suspicion, "we don't have time for this. You were here last time I came here, and you know it was because I had to stop nanobots from stealing info from the company."

"Yes, that's true..."

"We think there's someone trying to threaten Wayne's company again. I just need to check the security cameras to see if anyone's infiltrated the building. You can even watch me while I do it, is that cool?"

"Ah... alright, alright, go ahead. I know you're a good kid, anyone who can team up with Batman and stay sane has to be a good kid. That or completely insane."

Dick snickered as he began looking at the different videos captured by the security cameras on the computer. "Thanks, Frank. And... Batman's actually not that bad when you get to know him. Hey, Red," he nudged Roy with his elbow, "you know Cheshire's face, right?"

"Yeah," Roy grunted as he switched spots with Dick.

While Roy watched the videos, Dick turned on his holographic computer and pulled out a USB cord from his glove. He plugged it into a port, typed a bit on his keyboard, and soon, a holographic model of Wayne Enterprises popped up.

"How many people are in the building?" he asked Frank as he counted the blinking dots in the model.

"At the moment... there should be fourteen, including me."

"Hmm... Red? Anyone in the vids?"

"No," Roy answered.

"There's only fourteen people in the building, just like there should be," he turned back to the security guard, "and no one came through here?"

"Well, there was a woman who came in earlier, but she left immediately.

"What?"

"Describe her!" Roy demanded.

"A-Average height, thin, and black hair and eyes."

"Did she ask for Bruce Wayne?" Dick said hurriedly.

"Well, yes, but Mr. Wayne hasn't been here lately. I told her to leave her contact information so we could get back to her, but she refused and left."

"When was this?" Roy said.

"About ten minutes before you came in."

"Crap, Red Arrow, we have to go!"

Dick yanked the USB cord out of the computer and dashed out of the building. He was already on the motorcycle, putting on the helmet, by the time Roy ran to the parking lot.

"Hey-"

"No time! It'll be faster if I drive."

Roy pursed his lips, but he got on without any protest. It was an awkward seating arrangement, for Roy basically towered over Dick. He wrapped his arms around the thin waist in front of him and placed his chin on Dick's right shoulder.

"You think you know where Cheshire is going to look for Bruce Wayne next," Roy said.

"Yeah, I do," Dick started the engine.

"Where?"

"Wayne Manor," Dick answered and sped out of the parking lot.

Already by the third signal light, Dick was pretty certain he had broken at least a dozen traffic laws. He was going way beyond the speed limit, that was for sure.

"You were pretty damn polite to the security guard," Roy shouted over the cacophony of vehicles.

"I can be charming when I want to be."

"You mind telling me why we're in such a hurry?"

Dick swerved the motorcycle into the lone street that led to the manor. "Bruce Wayne... is out of town. It'll be a lot easier to infiltrate his place if he's not there to call the police."

"For a guy who's as rich as he is, wouldn't he have some sort of security system in his estate?"

"Yeah, but Cheshire creamed you-"

"She did not-"

"So, the place will probably need us for back-up."

The wheels of the vehicle screeched to a halt in front of the gates of Wayne Manor. The place was surrounded by brick walls eight feet high, and the one metal gate that the two boys were currently in front of was nine feet high. Add the looming trees alining the road that led to Wayne Manor, and the manor looked like one of the most unwelcoming places in Gotham.

On the brick wall to the right of the gate, under a gold plate that had the name Wayne written in curvy and loopy font, was an intercom. Roy walked over to it and was just about to push the doorbell attached to it when Dick stuck an arm out, which effectively stopped the redhead in his tracks.

"Wait," he commanded.

"What is it now?" Roy grumbled and crossed his arms. Dick could tell that he was getting tired of the cryptic way he was acting.

"Hang tight for one second," Dick smiled. In response, Roy walked back to his motorcycle and leaned against the seat. He crossed his legs at the ankles and looked up at Dick expectantly.

After a quick scan around the area, Dick turned on the holographic diagram of the manor's perimeter. He sighed in relief.

There were only two dots, representing Roy and himself, near the manor, and only one dot, representing Alfred, in the mansion.

"All clear!" Dick ran a hand over his hair.

"So you were wrong," Roy said.

"_Wellllll_, more like... um... yeah, I was.

"Then this was a waste of time."

"Ouch."

"I'm leaving," Roy got on the motorcycle and put on his helmet.

"Wait, maybe they'll come later," Dick mentally grimaced right after he spoke. He sounded desperate, he knew it.

"I doubt it," Roy frowned, giving Dick one last look before leaving. Double ouch.

Dick slumped against a brick wall once Roy was out of sight. He pressed a fist against his forehead and groaned. Way to go boy wonder, or, as KF liked to call him, Boy Blunder.

After a few minutes of mentally berating himself, Dick sighed and straightened up. He didn't have time to be frustrated with himself, not when Gotham needed someone patrolling the streets. He briefly wondered if he should take the R-cycle when a shadow caught his eye.

A shadow outlining the figure of a grown man.

Situations like these made being trained by Batman all the more sweeter.

Dick tackled the man to the ground. He knocked him out with a strike to the neck and then flipped him over. The loser was dressed in all black... and the material was familiar. His eyes widened as he recognized the type of material that made up the man's clothing.

It felt just like the clothes of Cheshire's accomplice from earlier.

Dick opened the hologram of the manor and cursed when he saw the numerous dots enclosing on the perimeter. He could probably take out six, maybe nine, of those henchmen on his own. But it was going to more difficult with them spread out around the area.

He clenched his teeth as he grappled over the brick wall. The security system around the mansion wasn't exactly built for highly trained assassins, particularly Cheshire. Usually it wasn't a problem since Bruce would be able to subdue any attacker without that person even knowing who stopped him. Dick knew he was capable enough to take these attackers down, but he was worried about Alfred.

Alfred wasn't a pushover himself either, but one couldn't help but worry.

By the time Dick reached the mansion, he'd knocked out six different attackers, and so his knock-out gas pellet supply was running low. His hand still tingled with the feeling of smacking one persistent baddie on the jaw.

The sound of feet on concrete reached his ears. He whipped around, birdarang in hand, only to drop his arm in confusion.

This attacker was running... away? He smiled when he heard the familiar whishing sound of an arrow being shot.

The trick arrow exploded into a net, capturing the baddie, and causing her to fall to the ground.

"I thought you left," Dick said without turning around.

"I did," Roy coughed.

"But..."

"Don't get any funny ideas. I only came back because I saw these guys try to infiltrate-"

"Yeah, yeah," Dick waved his hand, "It's good to see you again."

"... Let's just get this over with," Roy muttered and strode towards the mansion.

"Aww, don't play hard to get," Dick laughed, trailing after the taller teen.

Seriously though, Dick wished that Roy's personal bubble was easier to puncture.

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><p>Please leave a reviewcomment~ :D  
>And please point out any grammar mistakes~ ;)<p> 


	3. Disabled

**Sorry this one took so long to crank out. ^^;  
>I'm not very good at writing fight scenes... ha ha... D:<br>I hope I did Cheshire justice. I love her soooo much in this show. She's so kickass. xD**

**Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter. ^^**

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><p>There was an odd feeling of relief and a sense of security Dick had whenever Roy was around. Though Dick had been in the superhero gig the longest out of all the sidekicks, Roy had dealt with <em>life <em>the longest.

Granted, Dick had seen things no boy his age should ever have to see, but he was still developing physically _and _mentally. Roy, though rather brash and stubborn at times, was set on his values and his beliefs. He was ironically, given his personality, the most sturdy out of all the teen heroes.

Roy always believed in his own strength, and in turn, never doubted himself. Yes, he would admit he needed help every once in a while, but he still stuck to his own plan.

Those aspects of him was probably what intrigued Dick since he met the archer. And right now, Dick needed someone who was as confident as he himself was acting, because that nagging voice in his head was currently fussing over Alfred.

"How many guys did you take out?" Dick asked quietly as he and Roy stepped through the front doors of the mansion.

"Seven. You?"

"Six. That means everyone outside's taken care of. There are four people in here... three hostiles, one civilian. The civilian's either Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, or Wayne's butler."

"You know their locations?"

The light from Dick's holographic computer glowed a light blue. It illuminated both of the boy's faces in the otherwise dark environment.

"Do you have the models of very building in Gotham?" Roy asked suspiciously.

"Just the important ones," Dick chuckled, "Okay, there's one guy in that hallway, third door on the left, another one upstairs, guarding a room that contains two people. I'm betting one of those two people is a hostage."

Dick shut off the hologram, enveloping the two in darkness. He pointed to the hallway where one enemy was waiting.

"The guy there probably's seen the light from my wrist computer by now. We'll take him out first. Then-"

"Third door on the left?" Roy interrupted.

"Yeah."

Roy shot an arrow that attached itself to the doorway. Shortly after, it released a greenish gas and a loud thump resonated in the room.

"Good thing there's nothing in there he could've hit his head on. You lucked out, Red," Dick smirked.

"You mean he lucked out," Roy matched the other's smile.

"Scary," Dick said and pulled out what looked like a test tube filled with a clear liquid.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"If you think it's chloroform, then yeah."

"We don't need it."

"What- hey!" Dick yelled when Roy ran ahead. Right, Roy went at his own pace. And since he was flying solo due to the blowout on the day he, Robin, Kid, and Aqualad were supposed to join the Justice League, the archer had to learn how to rely on himself and on himself only.

Being quick on one's feet had its benefits, but Dick wondered if it would cause ever cause Roy to forget about the safety of whomever was accompanying him.

Well, now was not the time to think about things like that.

Dick stuffed the chloroform back into one of the pouches of his belt before dashing after Roy.

Roy was standing over a crumpled masked man with an unreadable expression on his face.

"You knocked him out already?" Dick asked, "I didn't even hear anything."

"No, I found him like this."

Then it was most likely Alfred's handiwork. Dick stopped himself from grinning broadly at the realization. He motioned for Roy to stand on the opposite end of the double doors leading to Bruce's office. The office was huge, and it had bullet-proof glass windows taking up an entire side of the room where a wall usually would be. There was also a terrace that hung over the large swimming pool of the manor.

Roy and Dick kicked the doors open at the same time. Roy had his bow and arrow ready as the two quickly scanned the room.

Near one of the glass panels that opened to the terrace was Alfred. He was out cold, and his wrists were tied to a chair. Dick could see a nasty bump forming on the side of the butler's head.

Dick pulled out a birdarang and tentatively stepped in with one foot.

"Boo."

"Ugh," Dick hissed and flung the birdarang at the white mask that had suddenly popped into view.

Cheshire withdrew her previously upside down head. She jumped away from the wall above the doorway, ducking once she landed to dodge the arrow that had been aimed at her head.

"My," she said as she straightened up, "you're rather feisty today."

"Where are Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson?" Roy growled.

"Whatever do you mean? The butler was the only one here when I arrived."

"Don't lie to-"

"She's telling the truth," Dick interjected, "When I checked the hologram earlier, there was only one person in the mansion."

Roy scowled anyways and kept his aim on Cheshire.

Cheshire cocked her head to the side mockingly before charging with her sais in hand. Dick rolled out of the way, flipping the lights on after straightening up, as Roy launched his arrow. A loud twang indicated that Cheshire deflected the arrow, but Dick payed no mind to it. He gave a only small glance as Roy and Cheshire began fighting; he could count on Roy to keep her busy.

"Alfred," he whispered as he reached the butler.

"M-Master... Dick?" Alfred stirred.

"Yeah, it's me. Hang on, I'm getting you out of here."

Untying the knots was a needless task. Dick opted for the easier, quicker method, and took out the tiny blade he kept in his utility belt. The ropes fell apart in no time.

"Up we go," Dick grunted as he helped Alfred to his feet.

They were at the door when Roy was thrown against a glass panel. Dick winced at the cracking sound from the impact. He checked his hologram once he and Alfred were out in the hallway.

"Nice job with this guy, by the way," he gestured at the still figure propped against the wall.

Alfred chuckled lowly.

"Alf, we got the creeps outside. Call the police, tell them there were thirteen, no fifteen, including the ones in here, attackers that the security system caught. Dump this guy," Dick began tying the man's hands and feet, "and the one downstairs outside."

"Understood, sir."

"Okay, I'm going back in then."

"Very good, sir. Oh, and may I ask that you keep that young lady from breaking Master Bruce's desk. If I recall correctly, it is rather new."

"I can't make any promises," Dick laughed. He slipped through the doors just as an arrow flew by. It lodged itself on the wall near the bookshelf.

Bruce was _not _going to like that.

"Red, I know Wayne's rich and all, but I don't think he'll like all this damage to his house," Dick called out.

"He'll have to deal with it," Roy yelled back.

"Fine, but I'm not going to be there when you have to explain how you destroyed his office."

Dick caught Roy when he stumbled backwards from the kick he received on the chest. The boy wonder smiled down at the bed of orange hair. "Player switch," he said and set Roy down, jumping over him to face Cheshire.

"I don't think we've met before," Cheshire said loftily.

"No, but I've heard about you," Dick readied himself in a stance.

"As have I of you."

She was fast; Dick had barely missed being skewered by one of her sais. Purely on reflex, he pulled out his escrima sticks to block the other incoming sai.

He trapped the weapon between his sticks. With a quick motion, he was able to fling the sai across the room. Cheshire, now disabled of one of her weapons, flipped backwards.

Her mask was frustrating. Dick couldn't predict her next moves as well since he couldn't see her eyes. Usually he'd be one step ahead of an aggressor by watching their eye movement.

He didn't flinch despite the arrow that virtually flew right next to his ear. He should've known Roy wouldn't stand by for long.

Another form of support came with the blaring wails of police car sirens.

"Give it up, Cheshire," Roy growled.

"Hmm, that would seem the most appropriate action to take, but-"

Dick felt the pain before he even realized that Cheshire had thrown shurikens at him. While one had only grazed him on the arm, the other had managed to hit him on the left side of his stomach.

He pulled it out as quickly as he could, but he still began swaying from a strong numbing feeling. The jellyfish toxins... Aqualad told the team about it. His vision was getting blurry...

"Get a hold of yourself, kid!" Roy snapped at him.

"I'm... I'm fine," Dick mumbled.

He ended up regretting saying that, as the three engaged in a scuffle that turned out completely disastrous.

Cheshire had him in a head-lock, the sharp end of her sai skimming his neck. The toxins from the shurikens earlier affected Dick so much that he could only watch Roy's knuckles turn white as the he tightened his grip on his bow.

Dick was on the verge of unconsciousness, so he barely registered that they were now on the terrace. A chilly breeze made his teeth chatter. Damn, did the toxins also make him more vulnerable?

He couldn't make out what Cheshire was saying. Something about... choosing. Red Arrow would have to choose... something.

It took him a while to realize he was falling.

The last thing he felt before blacking out was his cape rippling against his frame. The last thing he saw was Cheshire leaping off the terrace and Roy, with his hands clutching the railings of the platform, looking down with horrified surprise. The last thing he heard, above the sound of the police sirens around the manor, was Roy cry out.

"ROBIN!"

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><p>Please reviewcomment/point out any grammar mistakes. Constructive criticism is welcome too~


	4. Signs

**Guys, I am so so so sorry that this took sooo long to come out! I got caught up doing stuff for school and things. I promise the next chapter will come out sooner though!**

**I really am anticipating more Young Justice! It's coming back in fall? D: To take a leaf from Robin's book, "September? What happened to March?"**

**As always, constructive criticism is always appreciated. ;) Especially if it's on grammar, hoo boy. D:**

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><p>It was too bright.<p>

Dick automatically moved his hand to block the light from his squinting eyes. He breathed in slowly.

He was lying in a bed. And judging by the blank walls of the room, the antique dresser tucked in the corner, and the bookshelf filled with classics such as The Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451, he was in one of the numerous guest rooms of Bruce's mansion.

His comforter slid down, revealing a bare chest as he sat up. A grumble escaped his lips as he noticed the bandages wrapped around his arm and stomach.

He put a hand to his cheek.

His mask was still on.

Strange.

Somewhat dazed and very much confused, Dick dragged himself out of bed to look for Alfred.

The bottom of his pajama pants billowed out each time he took a step. Dick enjoyed the gusts of cool wind that tickled his legs.

"Alfred? Alfred, where are you?" he called out.

"Master... Robin?" Alfred appeared to have been heading towards his direction. A silver tray was in his hands.

"What's going on? Why-?"

Alfred cleared his throat, which effectively silenced the teen. "Please allow me to serve you your lunch first," he smiled faintly, "I will answer any questions you have once we return to your room."

Dick bit his lip, but he walked back into the guest room. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched silently as Alfred propped up a table. There was no hint of sound as Alfred set the silver tray down.

Once Alfred placed silverware next to the plate, the butler stepped aside with his usual stoic expression. He stood poised, just like he normally did.

Except this wasn't normal.

"Alfred, what's going on? Why was I put in a guest room? Why is my mask on? Why did you call me 'Robin'?" Dick asked at a speed Kid Flash would've been proud of.

"Master Robin, the toxins have weakened your body. Please eat," Alfred said, gesturing at the food.

Dick looked at him suspiciously.

"Please," Alfred said softly.

Without breaking his gaze on the butler, Dick picked up his spoon and began eating his soup.

"To answer your questions, Master Robin, I have but one answer: Master Roy has stayed with us overnight."

Dick laid down his spoon. After a moment's silence, he exhaled slowly. "Really?" he asked.

"Of utmost certainty, sir."

Dick leaned forward while rubbing his temple with two fingers. "Why is he here?" he groaned.

"I believe he was worried about your well-being."

"Worried? I didn't think Roy was the type to worry about-"

A dull thunk outside interrupted his thoughts. Dick looked out the window near his bed to see Roy shooting targets. One of the hanging targets was swinging slightly from the arrow lodged in the bullseye.

"He's in his civvies," Dick commented.

"I can hardly imagine wearing a crime-fighting suit to bed would be comfortable, sir," Alfred said, amused.

"Oh, ha ha, Alfie."

"Alfie?"

"... Alfred."

Soon after Dick finished eating his meal, the raven-hair put on a jacket and headed outside. He rubbed his arm as he approached Roy.

"You're awake," Roy said as he shot another arrow.

"Yeah... what happened last night?"

"Cheshire got away."

"I've heard. I want to ask you what we're still doing in Wayne manor."

"You were injured, so the butler offered to treat your wounds. I couldn't contact Batman and there was no other place to take you, so..."

"So you stayed the night to make sure I was alright?"

"Yeah."

"You're a lot nicer than I thought," Dick smiled.

To his surprise, Roy didn't retort with a smart comment of any sort. He didn't even scowl or glare in response. Instead, he remained silent as he fiddled with the feather end of his arrow. Dick had never seen the redhead do such a thing before. Despite being interested in the possible nervous tick, he didn't point it out to Roy.

At the moment, leaving Wayne Manor was much more important.

"Anyways, since I'm good and well, how 'bout we high-tail it out of here?" Dick smiled.

"Alright," Roy said as he shot one final arrow. It barely hit the edge of his target. That was strange, considering that all the previous arrows had struck the bullseyes of their targets.

They were both in costume within minutes. Dick waved goodbye to Alfred while Roy gave a curt nod. As the butler straightened up from his bow, Dick saw the faint tug in the corners of Alfred's lips.

Luckily, Roy hadn't seen the smile. Nor had he seemed to notice the pinkish-red color that had flooded the boy wonder's cheeks.

Dick knew what that smile meant: Alfred knew who Dick was currently interested in. Of course he knew, he was _Alfred._ Alfred Pennyworth, the Batman of Batman himself. He'd probably been analyzing Roy's height, well-structured body, and voice the minute he noticed the redhead's presence. Just by looking at Roy's physical characteristics, Alfred most likely guessed Roy's age and tied it back to the conversation he and Dick had the day before.

Resisting the urge to place a hand on his forehead in embarrassment, Dick hopped onto Roy's motorcycle seconds after Roy settled himself on the seat. He tentatively laid his cheek onto Roy's back, breathing in deeply to relax himself.

The archer smelled nice.

Dick closed his eyes as he took in another deep breath. There was a faint trace of cologne mixed with a nice scent that smelled like freshly cut wood. Roy smelled like the outdoors.

Dick almost snorted. He'd just imagined Roy dressed in his Speedy outfit, stealing from the rich, giving to the poor, rescuing damsels in distress, and saving the day. Like Robin Hood.

To prevent the snicker from escaping his lips, Dick buried his face into Roy's back. He tensed slightly when Roy yelled over the cars surrounding them to ask, "You alright?"

" 'M sleepy," Dick regained his composure and replied casually.

Roy didn't say anything in response, choosing to only lean forward slightly as he sped up his vehicle. Dick moved along with Roy, intent on using the redhead's back as his pillow.

Once they reached a spot far enough from Wayne Manor, Dick prodded his finger into Roy's ribs. He motioned his head towards a secluded alley and Roy looked back with a glare. The alley wasn't the most ideal spot for parting, but it'd have to do.

"Well," Dick said as he jumped off the motorcycle, placing one hand on Roy's shoulder while aiming his grapple gun with the other, "I guess I'll see you later... Roy."

Roy jerked his arm away, the whites of his mask wide. No one other than Green Arrow called him by his real name.

"... Sorry. I shouldn't have..." Dick chuckled bitterly.

Not desiring to hear what Roy had to say, Dick shot his line and swung away. He glanced over his shoulder as Roy tugged on his helmet and sped off.

Dick flung his body across the air when he hit the end of his rope. He forced himself to only think of soaring against the wind as he pulled off numerous acrobatic moves. Focusing so intently on just moving always helped to clear his mind. He tended to overexert himself physically whenever he was stressed, as he would forget to rest every once in a while.

By the time he reached the premises of Wayne Manor, he was panting from his non-stop swinging.

He trudged into the Batcave, sighing as he unfastened his cape and tossed it onto a table. The chair in front of the master computer squeaked as he collapsed onto it. Even as the sound of Alfred's footsteps came nearer, Dick made no effort to straighten up from his slumped position.

"It's just you and me again, Alfred," Dick mumbled.

"Indeed, sir," Alfred replied.

"I want to know," Dick spun around in the chair, "what happened last night- after I passed out."

"... Shortly after the police arrived, Master Roy approached me with you in his arms."

Dick bit his lip, but he didn't look away from Alfred's eyes.

"He asked me for assistance," Alfred continued on, "Though he had already administered CPR-"

Dick let out a muffled cough. He looked away upon seeing the concealed, yet noticeably, amused expression on the butler's face.

"Is there something wrong?" Alfred asked with what looked like a twinkle in his eyes.

"No," Dick snapped, and then with a guilty sigh," Sorry... I just... what happened afterwards?"

"Master Roy was reluctant, but he allowed me to examine your condition. I was able to neutralize the toxins within your bloodstream, though your body was still weak from the effects. Then I offered Master Roy a room to stay in for the night, and he accepted. I imagine he wanted to make sure you were safe."

"You tease me too much, Alfred."

"He was quite insistent on staying by your side, Master Dick. Had I not given him a room, he would have remained sitting by your bedside. It took every skill of persuasion I had to convince him to leave your room."

The blush that had formed when Alfred first began describing Roy's actions was now threatening to cover his ears. "That's, uh, all that... happened?" Dick asked.

"Yes," Alfred answered promptly.

"Okay... okay then."

Dick stood from his chair and walked up the stairs to leave the cave; Alfred dutifully followed.

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><p>Please review or comment~ :D<p> 


	5. Tread Carefully

**I promised the next chapter would come out sooner~ ;)**  
><strong>So Young Justice episode 10 is scheduled to air on September 16. About time! D: However, for most of us internet-folks, episode 10 will kinda be like a rerun. I remember when it came out on CN's website. :D Ahh... best mess up that website ever had. And episode 10 is even on youtube! xD I love the internet.<strong>

**I hope you enjoy the chapter~! :D**

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><p>He knew Bruce wanted him to avoid the big criminals, but he couldn't just ignore a break-in that was happening right under his nose. Besides, he would make sure the police was alerted. He could take care of himself until they arrived.<p>

Dick landed quietly on the roof of the museum. He crouched down, opened the skylight, and peered into the building.

He raised an eyebrow when he recognized who was- no, who _were_ stealing artifacts from the museum.

Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn looked like they were having the time of their lives. Harley was twirling around with every other step she took, the ends of her jester hat twisting with each movement. She showed Ivy a valuable necklace she had nicked, giggling at the wide smile Ivy gave her.

Dick smiled as he watched the two. They were cute when they were together. It was a shame he would have to break up their little party.

His smile morphed into a smirk.

A quick flick of the wrist, and the fire alarm was set off. From the rooftop, Dick could see the shocked expressions on the women's faces. He shifted his weight onto the other leg, eyes still on the supervillains below.

Ivy soon noticed the batarang piercing the fire alarm and cursed under her breath. She looked around, expecting to find Batman to pop out of the shadows. Grinning widely, Dick opened the skylight a bit more and threw a lasso at Harley.

Her shriek told him he met his mark.

Dick cackled loudly as he jumped into the building. By the look on Ivy's face, she was completely irritated now. Dick's laughter had echoed around the museum, and thus, Dick's location was yet to be discovered.

"Come out, boy wonder. It's rude to keep a lady waiting," Ivy said coolly.

"I don't know... I don't think Batman would want me to," Dick replied in a sing-song voice.

"How disappointing. And here I thought Batman would have taught you basic manners."

"Well, you see, there's an exception for supervillains. If you were a kindly old lady who wasn't trying to rob a museum, I- whoa-!"

The world turned upside down as he was carried towards Ivy. Dick looked up to see a vine wrapped around his right leg. He was dangling mid-air before Poison Ivy; it was not exactly the most ideal situation.

"You placed some of your own plants in here beforehand," Dick said.

"Very good. You're quite the detective."

"Unfortunately, I just can't seem to kick my habit of conversing with my enemies. Batman would scold me so!"

"I prefer talking to you rather than having to play the silent game with Batman though," Ivy cooed.

"Really? Well, that's a relief. I was a bit worried that my chattering was annoying."

Dick threw a birdarang into the dark. It exploded, and a shrill, piercing noise rang out. The vine dropped him and retreated.

"By the way," Dick said and straightened up, "I'm _pretty_ sure the police is here by now. And I'm _completely_ sure my back-up's here."

"Back-up?" Ivy snarled, and then yelped as she was knocked backwards.

"Ivy!" Harley cried out.

The blur of yellow and red that had barreled into Ivy screeched to a halt next to Robin. A blinding grin swam in Dick's vision.

"Hey, man. Did I miss anything?" Wally held out a fist.

"Not much. Thanks for coming," Dick bumped it with his own fist.

"So, who's the hottie?"

"Trust me, you don't want to get involved with her."

"Who knows? It's worth a-"

"_Trust me_."

They avoided getting a concussion from an enraged Harley, who was currently wielding a large mallet. Dick caught sight of a vine slinking away from the ropes that had previously been subduing Harley. That was annoying, Ivy's plants were making this more difficult than it had to be.

"She's cute too," Wally commented as he swooped down to pick up Dick. He dodged Harley's successive swings with his super-speed.

"Dude, seriously, no," Dick crossed his arms.

"Alright, alright. I'm just saying..."

Wally maneuvered around various display stands that had been emptied by Ivy and Harley. While doing so, he also had to dodge oncoming vines and Harley's violent swings _and_ carry the boy wonder.

"It's a good thing you're so light," Wally yelled.

"Could you imagine me fat?" Dick yelled back while throwing birdarangs at numerous pots containing Ivy's plants. He hoped he'd gotten most of them.

"Ugh... the mental image is scarring me," Wally shivered.

"It's your own fault for imagining it."

"Oh, FYI, I saw Red Arrow along the way."

"What? What's he still doing here?"

"Still?"

"Yeah, he was here yesterday too."

"Hmm... dunno. Can I go get him? It'll only take a sec."

"Wai-" Dick said as Wally let him down and dashed out, "-t. Geez..."

The sound of swishing air alerted Dick of the danger that took the form of Harley's mallet. He flipped out of the way as the supervillain swung down. Before she could raise her weapon again, Dick rushed at her and elbowed her in the stomach. She staggered slightly from the blow, unable to react in time to avoid the vial of chloroform thrown at her. The container shattered on her chest, causing her to flinch, and then drop to her knees drowsily.

Harley was flat on her face by the time Wally came back. A disgruntled Roy stepped out of the speedster's arms. "Why did you bring me here?" he growled.

"Rob needs all the help he can get," Wally pointed at Dick, who was currently struggling with a vine that had managed to wrap around his wrist.

Roy froze briefly, having just noticed Dick. Then, he calmly walked over and sliced the vine with the sharp end of one of his arrows.

"Alright," he muttered, "who's the target?"

"Poison Ivy."

"Oh, so that's her name," Wally raised his eyebrows.

"You still shouldn't get too involved with her," Dick snorted, "Anyways, Ivy controls plants and likes to play with toxins. Watch out for anything that looks like pollen; some are mind-controlling agents and some are-"

A gigantic root crashed down, separating the three. Dick dove to one side while Roy and Wally dove to the other. He groaned as he looked up at the aggressor. The root came from a plant that had grown exponentially. On the very top of the plant, a large pink flower was blooming. Ivy was sitting on the flower, patting the plant lovingly.

"Seriously disastrous," Dick ground out through clenched teeth. He really wished he had Freeze's freeze gun right now. Due to the size of the monster plant, he couldn't take the risk of setting it on fire. Rampaging plants were scary plants.

Dick's cape whipped around, indicating the presence of his friend.

"Are you okay?" Wally asked, checking every visible part of him.

"I'm fine. Listen, take Harley out of here and hand her to the police. Then look for the thermostat in here- set it to the lowest temperature."

"Who put you in charge?" Wally smirked.

"I'm so awesome that I don't need anyone's approval," Dick smirked back, "Now go!"

Wally gave him a mock salute, and then sped off. He picked up Harley, making sure her head didn't roll out too much as he ran.

The speedster came back inside in no time and began looking for the thermostat. While Wally ran around the museum, Dick made his way over to Roy and pulled out a small spray can of acetic acid. He nudged Roy on the arm. "Got any freezing arrows with you?" he asked.

Roy nodded and switched the arrow he had been readying.

"Good. Now once KF comes back-" Dick started.

"Found it! Turned the temperature down all the way to 35 degrees," Wally appeared by them.

Dick flashed Wally a grin before chucking the spray can at the underside of the monstrous plant. "Red, hit the can!" he commanded.

Just as the arrow pierced the tin container, the air vent directly above Ivy's plant blasted out chilly air. Much to the three heroes' surprise, the plant shrunk to almost half its size. Ivy was now clinging onto the flower on top of the plant, her lips drawn back in a snarl.

"Huh... didn't expect that to happen," Dick said as he pulled out another can, "Maybe we should try to get the flower this time."

The plant thrashed when it was hit the second time. It shrank even more, causing Ivy to fall rather ungracefully on her butt. She tossed back her hair, her snarl even more apparent, and gave one last command to her plant.

Dick jerked back when he realized the plant was charging at him.

"Umph!"

His vision went black. The breath he was taking in was labored. He couldn't move his mouth to cry out. Something was clutching his forearm. There was a gentle pressure on the back of his head. It was strange; he felt no pain.

Then he recognized the faint smell of cologne, freshly cut wood, and a scent he couldn't quite describe but he liked anyway.

Dick pulled back and looked up. He prayed to god that his face wasn't as red as it felt when he noticed that Roy was looking back at him. Dick wanted to thank him, but his throat had become dry, and he was having trouble forming the words. This was getting awkward, neither of them were looking away. Dick really needed Roy's gaze to be on something or someone that wasn't him.

"I need help over here!" Wally yelled.

Dick jumped and pushed himself away from Roy, determined not to look at the latter in the eyes. "R-Right!" he said as he ran to Wally's aid.

A brief struggle later, and Ivy was knocked out in Wally's arms. "She smells nice, very flowery," he winked at Dick, "I bet you just don't want me to ask her out 'cause you have a crush on her."

"Idiot. As if I would be stupid enough to like a bad guy," Dick lightly smacked Wally on the shoulder.

"Come on. You told me you have a thing for redheads!"

Dick's eyes flickered to his left and settled on Roy. Thankfully, because of the whites of his mask, neither Wally nor Roy could see what he was looking at. Without moving his head, his eyes still on Roy, Dick laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Still not interested in her," he snorted, "I'd go for someone who's actually on _our_ side."

"Oh, so you'd date me?" Wally teased, which caught Dick by surprise.

"Ha, you wish!"

Wally laughed as Dick bumped into him playfully. "Hey, but," Wally tilted his head back to look at Roy, "I'd totally be able to woo Rob if I wanted to, right?"

"I wouldn't know," Roy muttered gruffly, and then ruffled Dick's hair, "you don't think about those kind of things, not at his age."

"Yeah, I, uh... I'm not really interested in girls right now," Dick reluctantly pushed Roy's hand away. He allowed his head to turn in Roy's direction as he did so, and thus saw the archer's lips stretched into a thin line. His own mouth opened marginally in surprise.

"Hey, hey," Wally bumped into the raven-hair to grab his attention, "then how do you know you like redheads? Are you _really _not interested in girls? I think someone's got a secret here~"

"Get off, dude. I'm serious. Right now, I've got zero interest in girls. Zip."

Wally stared at him incredulously. "Really?" he asked.

"Positive."

Wally shrugged, but gave up on pestering Dick. He clicked his tongue and looked upwards. "Well, I've got to head home right now... homework and stuff, you know?" And with that, he dropped Ivy into Roy's arms, gave Dick a pat on the back, and dashed off back to Central City. The turbulence behind him made bystanders' hair whip around, clothes ruffle, and papers fly.

"We'd better wrap this up," Dick said, striding to the entrance of the museum.

"Yeah, alright," Roy said.

Commissioner Gordon was standing in front of his platoon, waiting for the signal to enter the building. He had an exasperated look on his face once Dick and Roy came out through the double doors of the entrance. "I was told by that Flash kid that Batman was in there," he said suspiciously when they approached him.

"No worries!" Dick laughed, "We handled it. Just make sure the museum's security goes up, 'cause right now... it kinda sucks."

Gordon chuckled, and then ordered an officer to take Ivy from Roy. Ivy was handcuffed and placed beside Harley, who was also still unconscious. Dick watched as the officer shut the back door of the armored truck. He exhaled slowly, relieved to know that he wouldn't have to worry about the duo for a while.

Accompanied by Roy, Commissioner Gordon, and one of Gordon's officers, Dick went back inside to examine what the supervillains had been planning to steal. There were two large brown sacks sitting conspicuously among the empty glass displays. Dick crouched down and opened one of them.

A cloud of pink dust exploded in Dick's face. Dick immediately closed the sack and tied the end closed.

"Stay back!" he coughed, knowing that Gordon was rushing to him to see what was wrong. This wasn't good; he was feeling dizzy. "Commissioner, g-get your dust or gas masks. Do _not_ handle these bags without th-them," he choked out before shooting his grapple at the open skylight and zipping out of the building.

Dick's stomach flipped when he noticed Roy had exited the building as well and was looking straight at him. Panicked, Dick shot his grapple at a nearby skyscraper and swung off. He looked back and bit his lip; Roy was trailing after him with his motorcycle. Of all days for the usually distant archer to actually care...

"Don't follow me!" Dick yelled, voice beginning to tremble from the effects of Ivy's pollen. Oh, he did not like the fact that his body was screaming to go back to Roy. _Not at all_.

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><p>Please reviewcomment/point out any grammatical mistakes/etc. :D


	6. Addressing Difficult Subjects

**Went to the beach~! :D It was so much fun! I haven't gone all summer, it felt awesome to feel the cold waves. I overloaded on eating french fries though. I feel so fatty-fat fat. xD**

**Thanx for your reviews, everyone~! I really appreciate all of them, they make me feel all fuzzy and warm inside. -w-**

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><p>Poison Ivy sucks. Harley Quinn sucks. Supervillains in general suck. The entirety of Gotham city sucks. Everything in the world sucks. No, just plain everything<em>, including <em>the world, sucks.

Okay, maybe Batman doesn't suck.

But everything else certainly did. This was the second time he got intoxicated with a foreign substance in two days. Bruce would not be happy.

"Go away," Dick grumbled with his face towards the ground. Roy had continued to follow Dick, who had been attempting to shake the archer off while feeling the effects of Ivy's pollen, until the latter gave up and waited for him on a random rooftop. Maybe if Dick explained the problem, then Roy would back off.

That had been the plan, but Dick was already having trouble with keeping Ivy's pollen from taking control. Knowing that Roy was coming to see him, he had felt much more elated than he usually would have. He had been experiencing complete euphoria. And he _knew _in normal conditions, he wouldn't have felt so damn happy.

Despite Dick's harsh tone, Roy hadn't moved from his spot. Dick bit his lip. He refused to look at Roy. He refused to look at that toned figure that had muscular arms and-

Dick groaned. He really hated Ivy right now.

"Go away," he said again.

"No. Not until you tell me what's wrong," Roy said, crossing his arms.

Dick looked up from his crouched position, and then regretted it almost instantly. His breathing became ragged and his face flushed as Roy walked closer to him. He swallowed, hoping to ease his dry throat. It did next to nothing.

"You're worried about me," Dick gasped out.

"Yeah..." Roy's eyebrows furrowed.

"Like that night with Cheshire."

"You-"

"Yes... or no?" Dick was standing up now. He licked his bottom lip.

"... Yes."

Thoughts raced through Dick's mind. While his feet urged him to move, to run towards Roy, his brain was flashing a red light. Dick clenched his fists painfully; if he went with his bodily instincts right now, then he definitely would regret it later. Definitely.

Maybe.

No, definitely.

Then again, he might actually not regret it at all. There was a chance that Roy could react in a completely different, positive way.

"Ugh," Dick was at his wit's end. He'd already decided that Roy only cared for him as a friend. Even though Alfred had blatantly implied that the archer reciprocated his feelings, Dick believed that he was only seen as a fellow team member. Yes, Roy was rather protective of him, but he was like that for anyone he considered a friend. Roy wasn't giving him any special treatment or anything.

Dick believed that, so why was his mind trying to convince him otherwise?

"Robin... Robin!" Roy's voice rose.

Dick ignored Roy's attempts to get him to talk. He was too busy putting all his effort into making sure he didn't jump the other boy. A task that would've been much easier to deal with if Roy had just listened to him and left him alone. Stupid!

His hands curled into fists. Panting, Dick took an offensive stance in one last attempt. "Don't come any... any closer. I'm warning- I'm... augh..." he'd bitten the corner of his lip to the point it was bleeding.

"Hey-" Roy placed a hand on Dick's shoulder.

Dick couldn't take it anymore. He didn't care about the consequences.

Before Roy could register what was happening, Dick tackled him in a hug with strength that Roy had not known he possessed. The force of the hug caused Roy to fall backwards. The archer grunted as he hit the ground.

"Ow... Robin-! What-" he lifted his head.

"God, I love the way you smell," Dick muttered, nuzzling Roy's neck. Then, with a wide smile, he kissed the underside of the archer's neck. He let out a breathy giggle at Roy's sharp gasp.

"Robin, wait..." Roy pushed weakly at Dick's shoulders.

"Hmm?" Dick sat up, straddling Roy, and placed the palms of his hands flat on Roy's chest, "you don't like it?"

"Um..."

As Roy hesitated, Dick leaned down and pressed his lips against the redhead's. After a few seconds, of which there was no response of any kind, Dick pulled back. He frowned, it wasn't fun if he was the only one doing the work.

"Hey," he licked his lips and sat back up, "why are you being so stiff? Don't tell me that was your first ki-"

Roy covered Dick's mouth hurriedly. His face was flushed and he seemed to be struggling with finding the right words to say. It was the first time Dick had seen Roy look so embarrassed, and he enjoyed it thoroughly.

When Dick moaned quietly, Roy gritted his teeth and sat up, wincing as the young teen on him merely slid down to sit directly on his crotch. "No, it wasn't," he growled, to no effect. Dick was still perched on him, tilting his head to the side innocently and running his hands up and down Roy's chest.

"Okay, then why are you being such a prude?" Dick asked, jaw shifting awkwardly due to the hand still clamped over his mouth.

Judging by the blank look Roy was giving him, he had no idea what Dick had just said.

Dick poked his tongue out and licked Roy's fingers. He giggled at the deeper shade of red Roy's face took. For some reason, it amused him greatly, and so he continued to lick in the crevices between each finger.

"Robin, stop," Roy said, his trembling hand betraying his stern voice.

"So you don't like it?"

Roy sighed and removed his hand. "What?"

"So you don't like it?" Dick practically purred.

"Not like this."

Dick yelped as Roy grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down. Blinking furiously, the boy wonder looked up at the figure looming over him. Roy grabbed his wrists with one hand, wrenching his hands above his head, and pressed them against the ground. Dick sighed, mind still feeling hazy, "Oh, _I see_."

"What's going on?" Roy demanded.

"What'cha talking about, Royyyy?"

Roy paused, his grip on Dick's wrists tightening at the other boy whining his name. "You... you're not," he mumbled finally, "You're not acting like yourself. You're acting more... amorous and vulnerable..."

"What, so you _do _want me to take charge?" Dick smiled slyly and wrapped his legs around Roy's waist. Taking advantage of Roy's shock, Dick slipped out of his grip and hooked his arms around the redhead's neck. He scratched lightly at the nape of Roy's neck, laughing softly at the expression on Roy's face.

He quirked an eyebrow at the sudden stoic expression the other boy took.

He gave a delighted yelp as Roy flipped their positions again. The acrobat unwound his legs to lie flat on Roy. Smiling sweetly, he folded his hands in front of him and laid his chin on them.

"I admire you, you know. Sometimes I wish I'd left with you that day at the so-called Justice League headquarters," Dick said.

"You... mean that?" Roy breathed, leaning his head up slightly.

"Yeah, of course," Dick chuckled while swinging his legs, "I do like you after all."

"What?"

"I. Like. You. Geez, do I have to hit you over the head while I say it? I like you. As in 'like like'. As in 'not platonic, but ro-'"

Dick gasped as he was struck on the neck. The last image that burned in his mind was the small upward curve in the corner of Roy's lips.

Dick's eyes flickered open as he woke up. He groaned in annoyance, blinked, sat up, fell back down, and then sat up again. While being extremely groggy, he felt the material of beneath his fingers and realized he was laying on a cot. He pushed away the blanket that had pooled into his lap and swung himself so he was sitting on the side of the cot.

A figure was typing away on the main computer in the Batcave.

"Good morning, Dick."

"Mornin', Bruce," Dick yawned and stretched, "What time is it?"

"2:40 a.m. You should go back to sleep."

"Probably the best plan," Dick looked down at the fresh bandage on his left forearm. His eyes narrowed, then grew wide as he remembered the previous nights events. His heart began to beat in his ears.

"Dick," Bruce said, eyes still on the monitor, "go back to sleep."

"Oh, right, right," Dick flushed and laid back down on his cot. He pulled the blanket over himself until it reached his chin, firmly shut his eyes, willed himself to shove all thoughts out of his mind, and gradually fell asleep with the sound of fingers tapping on a keyboard.

Alfred gently shook him awake three hours later. Dick rolled his shoulders as he jumped off his cot and walked out of the Batcave. He went through the usual morning routine: shower, brush teeth, wash face, slick hair back, apply any make-up to cover cuts and bruises, head to dining room to eat breakfast, put on school uniform, and pretend going to school isn't as boring as it really it is.

He sighed upon getting dropped off in front of Gotham Academy. Mondays were always a bummer. He adjusted the strap of his book bag and stepped inside the school.

By the time the school day ended, Dick was already wishing for the weekend to come. Fortunately, he had no club to attend to on Monday. The thought of heading straight home brightened his mood slightly.

One of his classmates tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He shut his locker and turned around.

"Hey, James," he smiled.

"Hi, Dick. Want to go the arcade?"

"Ah... sorry. I've got something to do at home. Maybe some other time."

They walked side by side in the hallway leading to the entrance of the school.

"Oh, Bruce has you on a tight rope again?" James let out a bark of laughter, "You already do so much at school, I don't know what else there is for you to do at... Hey, who's that? Doesn't look like a parent."

Dick looked out the nearby window where James was pointing. His stomach dropped.

Roy was outside, in the parking lot that was right in front of the school. He was standing over his motorcycle, one hand gripping the right handle.

"Uh, I dunno. Maybe he's lost or something. Um, I forgot something in my locker. I'll see you tomorrow!" Dick said, taking a couple of steps back. He was only able to take a few more steps before another classmate caught up to him. He waved at her lamely, hoping that she was only wanting to greet him.

"Dick, that man outside is looking for you," she said.

"I don't know who he is."

"Uh-oh. You think he's trying to kidnap you for money?"

"No! He'd be pretty stupid to do that in broad daylight. He probably just wants to meet with Bruce."

"Then... are you going to talk to him?"

Dick opened his mouth, but he uttered no response. Of course, he just _had_ to drive himself into a corner. "Yeah..." he said, his mouth dry, "I guess I should."

"Would you... like me to come along? Just in case?"

Dick gave her a reassuring smile, "No, it's fine. Thanks, Sammy."

He rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped outside. Of all things he expected to happen after school, seeing Roy was at the very bottom of the list. Looking up, he noticed that the redhead was staring intently at him. He definitely couldn't walk casually away.

"I heard you were looking for me," Dick said, keeping his voice mellow. He'd been told by Bruce to change the pitch of his voice when these kinds of situations arose.

"Here," Roy tossed him a spare helmet, "I'm taking you out for ice cream."

"Sorry, but I'm told not to leave with strangers," Dick turned the helmet around in his hands.

"Drop the act, I know who you are."

"Most people do. It's hard not to be known when Bruce Wayne's your guardian."

"C'mon, kid, or did Ivy's pollen mess with your head more than we initially thought?"

Dick rammed on the helmet. He was amazed that the visor didn't fog up from the heat that rushed to his face. Making sure his book bag wouldn't fall off, he swung a leg over the motorcycle behind Roy, who started the vehicle. Dick tentatively wrapped his arms around Roy, and they were off.

"What are you still doing here?" Dick asked.

"None of your business," Roy said as they stopped by an ice cream parlor.

Dick frowned, but said nothing. An innocent jingle played as Dick and Roy stepped inside the store, prompting the employees inside to look up and say welcome in cheery voices. Dick gave his order after Roy's, pulling out his wallet as he did so. When Roy's hand rested over the leather container, Dick looked up quickly. Roy shook his head, his own wallet in his other hand, and paid for both of their orders. "Go find us a seat," he said as the cashier printed out their receipt.

Dick picked a spot that looked like a miniature lounge. He stared at the colorful illustrations on the wall beside him, not allowing himself to turn his head as Roy approached. He expected Roy to take the sofa across his.

The soft thump beside him made his heart skip a beat in surprise.

"You feeling better today?" Roy crossed his legs and leaned back in his seat, settling his arm on the top of the couch, behind Dick's head.

"... How did you find out?" Dick muttered, attempting to ignore the tingling sensations that had crawled up from his chest to his neck.

"About you being the little bird or about the crush you've been harboring on me for some time?"

Dick felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him, but he didn't back down. "About my secret I.D." he hissed.

"Your butler tried contacting you. Guess you were past your curfew. I picked up his call since you were still knocked out."

"But Batman-"

"Was still working with the League when this happened. He arrived a while after I dropped you off."

"It's not my fault then."

"What?"

"Batman _can't _kill me! If Alfred's the one... and if there's anyone in the world who Batman listens to, it's Alfie," Dick whispered excitedly. He was relieved enough to punch the air.

"Cute," Roy said, obviously amused.

"Shut up. This means you and Wally know my secret I.D. now."

Roy uncrossed his legs and became silent for an unnaturally long time. The awkward silence was made longer by an employee calling out their numbers to pick up their orders and Roy getting up to take the bowls of ice cream to their spot. Roy gave Dick his sundae, but didn't sit down immediately. He hesitated, and then sat on the sofa across Dick. After his third spoonful, Roy broke the silence.

"Wally knows?"

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><p>Commentsreviews/constructive criticism/corrections are always _always _appreciated~ :)


	7. To Conclude

**I'm uber sorry for taking so long with this chapter. As some of you might know, school was taking a lot of my time away. I think from now on, I'll only be posting one-shots. ^^; Haha, I just don't have the steam to do multi-chapter fics anymore.**

**This chapter is the last part of the fic. I'm glad you guys stuck with it until the end! :)**

**Oh, and episode 12 - Homefront just reaffirmed the unhealthy love I have for Robin in the show. 8D Gawd, that episode was great. Though I still twitched in awkwardness when we saw the Supey/Martian kiss. Haha, still not used to that couple. xD**

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><p>"Well, yeah. He's my best friend," Dick frowned.<p>

He shifted his gaze downwards toward his sundae. Biting his lip, Dick practically stabbed his plastic spoon into a globe of ice cream. Roy's silence was irritating him. It made him feel guilty, though he didn't know what he should have been feeling guilty of.

"Dick," Roy said, and Dick's eyes snapped up to look at him. Hearing his real name uttered by the redhead was shocking, "what is... Wally to you?"

"I already told you. _He's my best friend_. Why, is there something wrong with that?" Dick knew he was getting defensive. He knew he had no adequate reason to react in such a way, but he didn't care. He was annoyed with Roy's question, and he was even more annoyed with the softer tone Roy had taken when he had asked it.

Roy watched him coolly. "No, I wasn't suggesting that," he said.

"Then _what_ were you suggesting?"

"I wasn't suggesting anything."

"Fine. _Don't _tell me what's bugging you," Dick leaned back into his seat, staring intently at Roy. Without breaking eye contact, he swiftly grabbed his bowl of ice cream and continued to eat. His spoon scraped the bottom of the container by the time Roy decided to speak.

"Nothing is-" Roy started, eyebrows furrowed, and then abruptly stopped.

The archer sighed and ran his fingers through his orange locks of hair. When he closed his eyes in thought, Dick admired the long lashes that jutted out from his eyelids. Opening his eyes, Roy leaned forward and set his arms so that his elbows rested on his knees and his chin rested on his interlaced hands. He stared at Dick, who refused to break his gaze on him despite the warmth creeping up his neck.

"It's nothing. I misunderstood," Roy said softly.

"... Okay." Dick's temper cooled down, "you're acting really strange today, FYI."

To Dick's surprise, an amused smile settled on Roy's lips. The boy wonder blinked twice, and then stuck his spoon in Roy's ice cream. At Roy's change of expression, Dick smirked, "Eating with Wally makes you act differently around visible food." He snickered before popping the small scoop into his mouth.

The roar of Roy's motorcycle was oddly soothing as they drove to Wayne Manor. Dick kept silent, choosing to just watch the scenery change from city buildings to the forest-like area surrounding the manor. He pondered over Roy's behavior earlier in the ice cream parlor. The hot-temper he was used to, but the hesitancy Roy had displayed was new. Roy had always had a brash personality, and it was unnatural, almost disconcerting, how quiet the redhead had been. Dick didn't like it.

He absolutely hates it when things don't go the way he predicts them to.

They stopped before the front gate. Dick pushed the button on the intercom and waited until Alfred's voice came through. "It's me," he said, "Roy's with me too." A moment's pause, and then the metal gate opened with a loud creaking sound. Dick sat back down on the motorcycle, and Roy drove up the hill leading to the mansion.

Once they reached the steps of the structure, Dick nimbly jumped off. His book bag trailed after him. Straightening up, he adjusted the bag strap's position to relieve the pressure that had been digging into his shoulder. He watched curiously as Roy also got off his motorcycle and stepped closer to him.

"There aren't any hidden cameras around, are there?" Roy asked.

"You're talking about _Batman _here," Dick waved his hand.

"... ha. Whatever, you've hacked into the League's computers before."

"What are you-"

He was cut off by the gentle pressure on his lips. Then as quickly as it came, it left. Dick sighed unevenly, his brain attempting to find a proper explanation to everything that happened from the moment Roy picked him from school as the latter pulled him into a hug.

He couldn't think of anything.

"Sometimes it's best to enjoy things as they are instead of overanalyzing them," Roy said, amused.

"Funny," Dick mumbled, "So, what does this mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything. You should give up on me," Roy tucked a loose strand of hair behind Dick's left ear. It made Dick's neck prickle.

Dick gripped the back of Roy's jacket. With his face still buried in the redhead's chest, he asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You're _thirteen_, Dick."

The raven-hair grew stiff. "So what?" he asked defiantly. Thirteen or not, he'd done things people twice would ever have the capability of doing.

"No 'so what'. You know what I'm talking about."

"It-"

"I've got my dignity too. I'm not going to take advantage of some kid."

"Some kid?"

"That... that came out wrong. I didn't mean it that way," Roy sighed, "You're... just too young." His hold tightened as Dick attempted to push him away. Dick groaned, eventually giving up after four unsuccessful shoves. His arms dropped and hung limply on each side. He scowled.

"Let go of me," he said, albeit half-heartedly.

Roy gave one final squeeze before releasing him. When he took a step back, Dick could make out a slight upward curve on the corner of Roy's lips. Dick gingerly touched his own lips. "Why did you-? What was this for?" he asked.

"You're the detective, figure it out," Roy huffed out a laugh and boarded his motorcycle. He had put on his helmet and was just about to start the engine when Dick blurted out, "Are you jealous of Wally?" Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to voice the idea. At Roy's jaw tensing and the long silence that followed, he was sure he had hit the nail on the head.

"... I am," Roy admitted quietly.

"You like me back," it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah."

"Yet, you want me to give up on you."

No response.

"But are you going to give up on me?"

Roy gave Dick a pointed look, and then drove off. Dick sighed as he stepped inside through the large double doors, wondering if he should bother analyzing the look. Roy was right, things were much more enjoyable when they weren't being overanalyzed. He wished he would get rid of the annoying habit.

Fortunately, once Alfred greeted him and offered to serve chicken salad as an after-school meal, Dick decided he could think about his conversation with Roy some other time.

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><p><strong>Epilogue:<strong>

"She sounds amazing, Walls," Dick muttered as he swung up from a flagpole. The light that had been streaming down on him allowed a glimpse of his toned figure. When he leaped across the air, civilians, if they strained their eyes enough, may have been able to catch the electric blue streaking through the night sky.

Dick landed on the balls of his toes, blowing up air at the bangs skimming above his right eye. He then fell back to sit on the rooftop with his legs splayed out in front of him. He'd stopped two carjackings, three attempted muggins, and had helped Bruce by collecting information on the Penguin, all while conversing with Wally on the side. And though talking to Wally had helped his night be a lot less dull, Dick was exhausted.

Wally's voice filled his ear, "I really think she's the one. Like... I want to tell her about the superhero biz- that's how good she makes me feel."

"Damn, already thinking about that? She must be really special."

"I don't know. I just... when I'm around Linda, everything feels... just... _right_. There's just one little problem."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"She kind of... hates the Flash."

Dick burst out laughing. He never really understood Wally's desire to date girls who showed a certain dislike for him. First Artemis, and now Linda?

"Ugh, don't laugh," Wally groaned. Dick could just see the frown on his face. "It's not uncalled for... I sorta... accidentally... caused a lot of damage some time ago. She hounds me about it every time I finish saving the day. Reporters are supposed to be vicious, it just _comes _with the job description."

"No need to convince me," Dick said, still amused, "if you feel she's the right one for you, then... alright, do what you want."

"Have you ever liked someone to the point you wanted to tell them your secret identity? And like as in like like; I'm pretty sure you didn't harbor any feelings for me when we were younger," Wally laughed.

Dick snickered, "Yeah, but it turned out they found out on their own."

"Whoa, whoa, and?"

"They told me to give up on them."

"Harsh."

"Ha ha. Just a little. Anyways, I've gotta go, I've got a visitor," Dick said. He pulled out the earpiece and stored it in a container on his gauntlet. With a smile, he scooted over to sit on the edge of the roof. "Well?" he said while swinging his legs, "Are you going to come down and say hey, or are you going to lurk in the shadows all night?"

"You're hilarious," Roy huffed as he jumped down behind Dick. He crouched down to be in eye-level with him.

"What brings you here, Arsenal?" Dick asked, turning his head to look at Roy.

"Don't tell me you forgot," Roy said in a low voice.

"Forgot wha-mmph."

Dick's eyes slid shut as Roy coaxed him to open his mouth. He was aware of the finger digging beneath his chin, but at the moment, he didn't care. Roy was kissing him, kissing him like nothing else in the world existed; as if he was releasing all his pent-up energy into this one action. Dick whined at the back of his throat as Roy pulled away and kissed his jaw.

"What... what was that for?" Dick reached out, his blue gloved middle and ring finger touching the redhead's lips.

Roy smiled, grabbing Dick's hand and using it to pull the acrobat closer to him. "Happy 18th birthday," he muttered. With one hard yank, he dragged a laughing Dick Grayson down with him. They ended up in a pile of tangled limbs and most likely ended up with a couple of bruises from falling onto the concrete.

Dick propped himself up with his arms and looked down at the archer beneath him. "If I remember correctly, this is how I confessed to you that night. Isn't that ironic?"

"What?" Roy snorted.

"Well, look! This time it's the other way around, but we're in the same position! I mean... geez... so you were waiting this entire time..."

"... yeah. So? Did you give up on me?"

"It's hard to forget one's first love."

"You were too young to even know what love was."

"Oh, shut up- aghfk!" Dick sputtered when a broad hand grasped the back of his head and pushed him down so his face met Roy's chest.

"When do you finish patrol?" Roy asked, amused. Dick, scowling, shifted his head so his face was free. "I was actually finished when you came. I _was _planning on taking a nice shower and going to bed, but _someone_ had to take up my time."

"Ha. Come to Star City for the night. I'll let you crash in my apartment."

"And why would I want to do that?" Dick smirked.

"Because that _someone_ wants to take you out the next day to properly celebrate your birthday. Got it?"

"Loud and clear. Oh, and by the way," Dick brought his arms up, rested his chin on top of them, and tapped the tip of Roy's nose with his finger, "I still can't believe you were jealous of Wally. He's as straight as an arrow."

A splash of red colored Roy's cheeks. "Don't mention that again," he grumbled as he sat up.

"It's okay, I've been jealous of Kaldur before."

"What."

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><p>Please reviewcomment/leave constructive criticism/tell me grammar mistakes~


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